In The Shadow Of A Master
by Darrkespur
Summary: A pre-game Cloud tries to be a hero...


IN THE SHADOW OF A MASTER  
  
  
Cloud leapt back from the edge of the gantry, dancing away from the creature's wild blows. Pressed against the singed bulkhead, he snapped off a couple of shots in the direction of the explosion, to no avail. The bullets sank harmlessly into the monster's fattened flanks, and the thing carried on its path of destruction without even flinching. Dodging a thrown boulder, Cloud ducked back into cover.  
"@$£"!" He muttered, "I'm not cut out for all this rifle crap. Give me a sword anyday."  
His dark haired companion grinned. "Have to be a SOLDIER for that, Strife."  
Cloud swore. "Yeah." He shied away from another piece of flying stonework and began fiddling around in his pack. "I know I have to be a SOLDIER, and I know you don't think I'll make it. But I'll get there, Zack. You wait."  
Zack gave him a sympathetic, if not entirely believing look, and drew his own weapon.  
"Sure you will, Cloud, sure you will." the darker haired fighter weighed the sword in his hands, feeling the weight. "Now, let's get this done, yeah? There's a three-day pass in Costa del Sol for whoever gets this creature, and I wants it."  
Cloud threw a gloved fist to his helmet in salute. "Sure thing, Boss."  
"Got the distraction?" Zack asked, sidling towards the staircase, towards where the enemy lurked.  
Cloud withdrew his arm from the pack, and brandished a slate gray cylinder the size of his fist; Shinra coding wrapped around its middle. Cloud's eyes sparkled with the glow of Mako as he juggled the item, watching it as it spiralled through the air, before it smacked back into his leathered palm.  
"I've got it." He said, fingers poised about the grenade's pin. "Not that I need it, really." Cloud stroked the other hand's fingers along his wrist-guard. "If that fails, "His hands touched the single glistening stone imbedded in the metal, "I've got a bit more firepower than that piece of junk."  
Zack grabbed his wrist.  
"Be careful," he said quietly, "you're not on patrol duty now, kid. Misusing Materia can get you killed."  
Cloud scowled.  
"I mean it, Strife." Zack said, squeezing his arm urgently. His arm bracelet held two stones Cloud noticed jealously, and from his sword hung another. "You're not ready."  
"I will be." Cloud said darkly, and pulled away from the protection of the gantry sharply, rifle raised, firing shot after shot into the belly of the beast. What did Zack know? He was nothing, not even a SOLDIER First Class, not even a Second Class. He was nothing compared to Sephiroth. Zack had no right telling Cloud what to do. Cloud put some distance between the two of them, still feeling the hard knot of stone beneath his fingertips, feeling the glow of power it hid. With Magic on his side, Cloud could take down this thing all by himself.  
The creature had come up in Sector Eight, near the Mako Reactor. It had mercilessly ripped through a weapon store and a troupe of Shinra guards, and was approaching the power station building. Zack's troupe had been sent to clean up. The monster had butchered the rest of the team, mainly due to their sheer ineptitude. Since AVALANCHE had started trouble in Midgar, the training schedules had gone all to pot. When the Turks had joined them on a rebel-scouring mission, Tseng had been appalled.  
The creature was some mutated remnant from the sewers, vaguely humanoid but mostly just weird. Arms sprouted from putrid stumps underneath its original limbs, which ended in azure blue tentacles, whipping and slashing the air in front of it wildly. A grossly overlarge tongue hung out its gaping maw like a rabid dog, and every now and then its light-blinded eyes would blink open, tinged with a gaze of mad fury. A year ago Cloud would have possibly been disgusted and nauseated. Now he'd seen much worse. This time, he just got on with the job. Walking down towards the battle zone, Cloud cracked off a couple more shots, only to see them rip harmlessly into the creatures bloated side. The creature didn't even appear to notice it.  
"Go for the eyes!" Zack cried as he vaulted the steps, rolling behind an overturned Mog vending machine and preparing to attack.  
Cloud nodded, and brought up the rifle, aiming for the beast's face as he slowly walked down the steps. The beast was distracted, consuming some unfortunate civilian noisily, and Cloud had a clear view of his target. As he reached the bottom of the staircase, he squeezed off two quick shots.   
The bullets raced through the beast's left eye, which exploded messily, tearing apart the left side of the monstrous visage in an arc of blood and ragged flesh. The creature staggered, and screamed with pain. Stumbling forward, it charged toward Cloud blindly, arms and tentacles flailing.   
Cloud tried to avoid the impact of the thing, but it caught up with him. With one arm clutched to it's tattered face, the other tree-trunk appendage swung out, hitting Cloud bodily in the chest, knocking him sideways. His helmet crumpled as he fell, and rolled away, leaving his blonde spikes unprotected. Batting away his outstretched weapon, the creature bent over him, mouth wide-open and jagged teeth glistening.   
Cloud touched the Materia on his bracelet, and attempted to draw out the powerful energies that lay within. It began to work, a fiery concoction filling the air, singeing the monster and Cloud's eyebrows, coursing up through the creature like a volcanic eruption. Then a tentacle slapped Cloud back to the ground, and he stumbled, the unfinished spell collapsing, the fireball dissipating into the city air. Shrugging the burns away effortlessly and pressing back down over him, the beast opened his mouth and took Cloud's head in its jaws.  
The pain was awful, splitting. Cloud grew faint, dreamy, despite the tear being ripped through his skull. Abruptly it stopped, and the ghoulish teeth withdrew. Dreamily, Cloud wondered if the Lifestream was coming to claim him, but then a silver blade flashed past, and the gleaming of Zack's armor came in between Cloud and the creature, which was backing away rapidly under the onslaught of gilded edge and fine swordsmanship.  
Zack strode forward purposefully, weapon poised, towards the retreating form of the monster. Flaying bolts of lightning swept across its chest, completed fireballs raked its hesitating legs. As the creature folded beneath Zack's stinging sword melee and devastating magical attack, the dark haired SOLDIER prepared for the finishing blow. Stepping back, he darted toward the cringing keeper and leapt.  
Bringing his sword up above him as he jumped, Zack sent it crashing down again, cleaving the thing's swollen head like a rotten fruit. The shattered body crumpled to the floor, one arm still helplessly clutching at it's ruined head, tentacles thrashing in agonized death throes. Zack landed effortlessly behind the dying creature, and picked up Cloud's unused grenade, lying dormant on the ground. Pulling the pin, Zack shoved the explosive down through the split skull, and began walking coolly away. As the head erupted behind him, Zack nonchalantly swung his sword about his head in victory and sheathed it, brushing off a patina of gore from the blade as he did so.   
Whistling, Zack strolled back to Cloud's prostrate form, who'd watched the quick, sharp kill with growing grogginess as blood seeped from the gash across his scalp. As Zack leaned over to examine the wound, Cloud tried to speak.   
"Gaah..." He struggled.  
"Shut up and drink this." The SOLDIER replied, slapping a potion into Cloud's limp hand. Groaning, Cloud slowly drew the bottle to his lips. The healing liquid burnt his mouth, slipping through into his veins like harsh Corel whiskey. Cloud spluttered, and clutched at his head, which was already magically beginning to sew itself back together.  
"Come on, kid, let's get you somewhere a little safer." Zack said, pulling Cloud to his feet. Behind them the monster's dying actions subsided with one final scream, spreading its remains a little further over the plaza. "I'll buy you a drink before we head back. You've earnt it. I know this wicked Bar in Sector Seven. I grew up with the barmaid back home in Nibelheim, and she's gorgeous. Mebbe one of us can hit lucky." He shrugged. "Anyway, there's always that three day pass to look forward to... I'm sure one of the girls on the beach can show us a good time!"  
Zack's good, reflected Cloud as he stumbled away from the defeated body, really good. Maybe I could, he thought, the potion searing his veins as the wound knit back together, maybe. Maybe if I can't be as powerful as Sephiroth, I could be like Zack. Maybe I could be like him, a SOLDIER, even if only a third class. Maybe I could be a warrior, a winner, like I set out to be. Someday, Cloud thought as they limped onto the train, maybe I could be a hero. 


End file.
